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U.S.- Led Coalition Forces in Iraq

GENERAL REFERENCE (not clearly pro or con)

 Summary of Coalition Forces In Iraq
Key Events: Bush Declares War Beginning
03/19/03		 Bush Announces Mission Accomplished
05/01/03		 Saddam Hussein Captured
12/14/03		 Interim Iraqi Government Established
06/28/04		 Iraq's First Elections
01/30/05
Total Countries in Coalition: 30 36 29 31 29
Total troops in Iraq: no total found 157,605 161,974 161,900
Total U.S. troops in Iraq: no total found 132,000 140,000 138,000
Total non-U.S. troops in Iraq: no total found 25,605 21,974 23,900
Total percentage of U.S. troops of total coalition forces in Iraq: no total found 84% 86% 85%
Editor's Notes: In our attempt to identify the coalition members, we have found discrepencies in the reporting from various agencies and governmental organizations. These variations include how a country is identified as a willing member and whether the country is only committing to the post-war reconstruction.

The war-time participation of a nation can range from 'boots-on-the-ground' military reinforcements to diplomatic letters of support to providing personnel in nearby countries to monetary support.

On some reports the level of participation was not identified, nor was it made clear whether the coalition tally included the 15 unnamed nations first described by Richard Boucher in a press briefing on March 18, 2003.

 Breakdown of Coalition Members (as reported by various sources)
Date of Information:
(Click on date to see source)		 03/18
20031		 03/19
20032		 03/24
20033		 03/27
20034		 05/15
20035		 08/20
20036		 12/03
20037		 07/15
20048		 10/15
20049		 03/15
200510
Total Countries in Coalition:
(Click on country for details)		 30 56 46 49 36 27 29 31 31 25
1 US - Iraq ProCon, Afghanistan Afghanistan X X X X
2 US - Iraq ProCon, Albania Albania X X X X X X X X X 71
3 US - Iraq ProCon, Angola Angola X X X
4 US - Iraq ProCon, Armenia Armenia 0
5 US - Iraq ProCon, Australia Australia X X X X X X X 920
6 US - Iraq ProCon, Austria Austria X
7 US - Iraq ProCon, Azerbaijan Azerbaijan X X X X X X X X 151
8 US - Iraq ProCon, Bahrain Bahrain X
9 US - Iraq ProCon, Belgium Belgium X
10 US - Iraq ProCon, Bulgaria Bulgaria X X X X X X X X 450
11 US - Iraq ProCon, Canada Canada X
12 US - Iraq ProCon, Colombia Colombia X X X X
13 US - Iraq ProCon, Costa Rica Costa Rica X X
14 US - Iraq ProCon, Croatia Croatia X X
15 US - Iraq ProCon, Czech Republic Czech Republic X X X X X X X X X 110
16 US - Iraq ProCon, Denmark Denmark X X X X X X X X X 496
17 US - Iraq ProCon, Dominican Republic Dominican Republic X X X X X X 0
18 US - Iraq ProCon, El Salvador El Salvador X X X X X X X X 380
19 US - Iraq ProCon, Eritrea Eritrea X X X X
20 US - Iraq ProCon, Estonia Estonia X X X X X X X X 55
21 US - Iraq ProCon, Ethiopia Ethiopia X X X X
22 US - Iraq ProCon, Fiji Fiji 150
23 US - Iraq ProCon, Finland Finland X
24 US - Iraq ProCon, France France X
25 US - Iraq ProCon, Georgia Georgia X X X X X X X X 898
26 US - Iraq ProCon, Greece Greece X
27 US - Iraq ProCon, Honduras Honduras X X X X X X 0
28 US - Iraq ProCon, Hungary Hungary X X X X X X X X X 0
29 US - Iraq ProCon, Iceland Iceland X X X X
30 US - Iraq ProCon, Ireland Ireland X
31 US - Iraq ProCon, Italy Italy X X X X X X X X X 3,169
32 US - Iraq ProCon, Japan Japan X X X X X X X 750
33 US - Iraq ProCon, Jordan Jordan X X
34 US - Iraq ProCon, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan X X X X 29
35 US - Iraq ProCon, Kuwait Kuwait X X X X
36 US - Iraq ProCon, Latvia Latvia X X X X X X X X 122
37 US - Iraq ProCon, Liechtenstein Liechtenstein X
38 US - Iraq ProCon, Lithuania Lithuania X X X X X X X X X 120
39 US - Iraq ProCon, Luxembourg Luxembourg X
40 US - Iraq ProCon, Macedonia Macedonia X X X X X X X X 33
41 US - Iraq ProCon, Marshall Islands Marshall Islands X X X
42 US - Iraq ProCon, Micronesia Micronesia X X X
43 US - Iraq ProCon, Moldova Moldova X X 0
44 US - Iraq ProCon, Mongolia Mongolia X X X X X X X 180
45 US - Iraq ProCon, Netherlands Netherlands X X X X X X X X X 200-800
46 US - Iraq ProCon, New Zealand New Zealand X X X X 0
47 US - Iraq ProCon, Nicaragua Nicaragua X X X X X X 0
48 US - Iraq ProCon, Norway Norway X X X X X 10
49 US - Iraq ProCon, Oman Oman X
50 US - Iraq ProCon, Palau Palau X X
51 US - Iraq ProCon, Panama Panama X X
52 US - Iraq ProCon, Philippines Philippines X X X X X X X 0
53 US - Iraq ProCon, Poland Poland X X X X X X X X X 1,700
54 US - Iraq ProCon, Portugal Portugal X X X X X X 0
55 US - Iraq ProCon, Qatar Qatar X
56 US - Iraq ProCon, Romania Romania X X X X X X X X X 730
57 US - Iraq ProCon, Rwanda Rwanda X X X
58 US - Iraq ProCon, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia X X
59 US - Iraq ProCon, Singapore Singapore X X X X 0
60 US - Iraq ProCon, Slovakia Slovakia X X X X X X X X X 105
61 US - Iraq ProCon, Slovania Slovania X X
62 US - Iraq ProCon, Solomon Islands Solomon Islands X X X
63 US - Iraq ProCon, South Korea South Korea X X X X X X X X X 3,600
64 US - Iraq ProCon, Spain Spain X X X X X X X 0
65 US - Iraq ProCon, Sweden Sweden X
66 US - Iraq ProCon, Taiwan Taiwan X X
67 US - Iraq ProCon, Thailand Thailand X 0
68 US - Iraq ProCon, Tonga Tonga X X 0
69 US - Iraq ProCon, Turkey Turkey X X X X X
70 US - Iraq ProCon, Uganda Uganda X X X
71 US - Iraq ProCon, Ukraine Ukraine X X X X X X X 1,450
72 US - Iraq ProCon, United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates X X
73 US - Iraq ProCon, United Kingdom United Kingdom X X X X X X X X X 12,400
74 US - Iraq ProCon, United States United States X X X X X X 132,000 140,000 X 170,000
75 US - Iraq ProCon, Uzbekistan Uzbekistan X X X X
Total Countries in Coalition: 30 56 46 49 36 27 29 31 31 25

References and Notes:

1

Richard Boucher , March 18, 2003 1:05 p.m. EST, State Department Press Briefing, Department of State Website, March 18, 2003.
Note: We have considered this press briefing to be the first public announcement of the coalition members in the buildup to the war in Iraq. On the same day, March 18, 2003, Secretary of State Colin Powell also issued a similar list of countries although his list did not include Iceland but did include Bulgaria (Boucher's list did not include Bulgaria but did include Iceland). In this briefing Boucher stated that 15 additional countries have joined the coalition but have decided that they, "just don't feel they want to be publicly listed at this point...". Those countries are not included in the tally of 30.

2

Paolo Pasicolan and Carrie Satterlee , "'Coalition of the Willing' Already Larger than the 1991 Gulf War Coalition", The Heritage Foundation, www.heritage.org, March 19, 2003.
Note: The Heritage Foundation, a conservative research and educational institute, states that there are 54 countries in the coalition but listed 56 in their article. The writers stated the following in their article: "To date, there are 54 countries that have joined the Coalition of the Willing--not including Canada, Germany, and France, which have recently offered conditional support. This does not include all the 15 nations that have offered quiet support."

3

Sarah Anderson, Phyllis Bennis, John Cavanagh, and Erik Leaver , "Coalition of the Willing or Coalition of the Coerced? Part II", Institute for Policy Studies, March 24, 2003.
Note: The Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive research and educational institute, states that there are 45 countries in the coalition but listed 46 in their report. This tally does not include the previously unnamed 15 countries. The writers stated the following in their article: "By Thursday, March 20, the Administration had bolstered their list, adding Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands and a few others, for a total of 43 partners who agreed to be identified. On the following day, the White House inexplicably dropped UN Security Council member Angola from the list while adding three additional countries, for a total of 45 countries that support the U.S.-led attack."

4

United States Senate 180th Congress 1st Session , Senate Concurrent Resolution 30 (S.Con.Res.30), Congressional Record, March 27, 2003.
Note: Their list does not indicate whether they take the previously unnamed 15 countries into account.

5

U.S. Department of Defense , Defend America News "Fact Sheet:International Support and Coalition Contribution to Operational Iraqi Freedom and Post-War Iraq", Defend America Website, May 15, 2003.
Note: The DefendAmerica Fact Sheet indicates that there are 66 countries in the coalition although of the countries listed on their release we were only able to find the names of 36. Their list does not indicate whether they take the previously unnamed 15 countries into account.

6

Richard Boucher , "New Troop Contributions to the Coalition in Iraq",USDOS Website, August 20, 2003.
Note: Richard Boucher stated the following in the 08/20/03 press briefing: "In addition to the 27 countries with forces already on the ground in Iraq, four others (Moldova, the Philippines, Portugal, and Thailand) have committed to providing troops. Fourteen other countries are currently considering whether to provide forces for Iraq."

7

The Globalist , "Iraq and the Armies of the World", Globalist.com, December 3, 2003

8

Robin Wright and Bradley Graham , "U.S. Works to Sustain Iraq Coalition", Washington Post, July 15, 2004

9

Multi-National Force-Iraq Website , "The World, Working Together, to Make a Difference", Multi-National Force-Iraq Website, October 15, 2004.
Note: GlobalSecurity.org stated in their article "Non-US Forces in Iraq - Early December 2004", published December 24, 2004: "As of October 15, 2004, the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) website incorrectly included Honduras in the list; that country's troops left in early May. The MNF-I listing also incorrectly list the Dominican Republic; its troops left in early-May. The MNF-I listing also omits the Kingdom of Tonga who deployed 45 Royal Marines in early July to Iraq."

10

GlobalSecurity.org , "Non-US Forces in Iraq - 15 March 2005", March 15, 2005.
Note: GlobalSecurity.org stated the following in their article: "The size and capabilities of the Coalition forces involved in operations in Iraq has been a subject of much debate, confusion, and at times exageration. As of March 15, 2004, there were 25 non-U.S. military forces participating in the coalition and contributing to the ongoing stability operations throughout Iraq...As of March 8, 2004, the MNF-I website incorrectly included Portugal in the list; that country's troops left Iraq in February. It also omitted Armenia which has about 46 troops in Iraq which it deployed in Jan. 2005." Some numbers from GlobalSecurity's listing were approximated.



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